Tag



y 22, 1951 L. A. HElNLE 2,554,105

TAG Filed April 14, 1949 Patented May 22, 1951 TAG Lawrence A. Heinle,Toledo, Ohio Application April 14, 1949, Serial No. 87,413

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to tags.

An object of this invention is to provide a one-piece tag which may bereadily attached and locked onto an article or bundle of pieces andprovide an indicia receiving plate portion easily marked.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tag having an indiciareceiving plate portion which legibly retains the marking thereon underadverse circumstances such as friction or weathering and therefore isparticularly useful in garden plant identification.

Another object is to provide a one-piece metal tag which is readilywrapped about an article regardless of shape, conforms to the generalperiphery of the article with sufficient gripping to retain its positionand to hold the lock.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a one-piece metaltag suiiiciently pliable to be easily configured into any desired designand have sufficient rigidity to maintain the form into which it wasshaped.

And another object of this invention is to provide a one-piece tag fromsubstantially pure sheet zinc of a thickness to have great pliabilityyet sufficient rigidity to be self-sustaining and to mechanically applyan overall surface finish which will accept all kinds of normal marking,retain the same and yet have a smooth feel to the touch.

Other objects and advantages of this invention relating to thearrangement, operation and function of the related elements of thestructure, to various details of construction, to' combinations of partsand to economies of manufacture, will be apparent to those skilled inthe art upon consideration of the following description and appendedclaims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a partof this specification wherein like reference characters designatecorresponding parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a tag embodying the invention herein;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the tag of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified tag embodying additional features ofthe invention;

Fig. 4 is a view showing one form of use for the tag;

Fig. 5 is a view showing another form of use for the tag;

Fig. 6 is a view showing the tag in use to hold a bundle of articlestogether and provide ample marking space for identification data; and

gated aperture Fig. 7 is a view illustrating still another use for thetag.

The tag is fabricated from commercial or substantially pure zinc sheets,strips or ribbons having a thickness of approximately .008. Thickness of.006 may be used and up to include .010". Beyond these limits, problemsof utility and economy arise. An .008" thickness of the zinc provides atag sufiiciently pliable to be easily handled for manual shaping to suchforms as desired in an attaching operation and yet has an inherentrigidity to be self-sustaining and shape retaining in whatever form itmay be twisted or bent. This rigidity is sufficient to withstand normalweathering when used in exposed locations. However, time and exposure donot effect the tag and it may be re-shaped and re-used. Other metals anda1- loys embodying the primary requirements. are available, but foreconomy and results, particularly the finish, zinc appears the morepractical.

One preferred form of the tag embodies a plate portion l0 from whichthere is a comparatively narrow predetermined length extension l2provided with a series of teeth I4 along at least one edge thereof. Theteeth of this serrated edge may be of various sizes and their sides ofvarious angular extent to accommodate particular uses of the tag.

The plate portion In is provided with an elon- IB therethrough adjacentthe junction of the extension. The maximum length of the apertureapproximates the width of the extension for facilitating and maintainingthe locking of the tag onto an article.

The tags are subject to a wide variation in size and modifications. Forexample, the tag as shown in Fig. 3 embodies an enlarged plate portionI8 with the extension l2 serrated along both major sides thereof and asecond aperture 20 is provided through the plate remote from theaperture l6.

The tag has a wide variety of uses, a few typical examples beingillustrated herein.

Referring to Fig. 4, the extension is wrapped about an article 22 andthe free end of the extension passed through the aperture l6 andslightly twisted to interlock a tooth M with the adjacent portion of theperiphery of the aperture.

In Fig. 5 the extension is shown wrapped about a growing plant 24 andthen wrapped or bent around the plate portion nearest the plant. Thisallows the tag to expand as the plant 3 grows, keeping the tag mountedon the plate so long as there is any of the extension embracing theplate.

In Fig. 6 a bunch of items 26 are shown with the extension wrapped twicearound the group and the extension interlocked with the plate similarlyto the showing in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 7 the extension is intermediatelybent angularly and theextension thrust into the earth 28 adjacent a plant so, thereby mountingthe plate portion in a sign position with the teeth [4 resistingremoval.

Regardless of use or shaping, indicia 32 may be placed on either side ofthe plate, or, as a matter or fact, may be placed on any'portion of thetag. A waxy pencil, crayon or :thelike is preferred, but any normalmarker may be used and the indicia will be permanently retained,resisting age, friction, weather and most chemical attacks.

This indicia retaining feature is vdue to the finish 34 on the surfaceof the tags as herein disclosed. During fabrication of the tags, the

sheet metal is operated upon by dies which impart minute depressionsinwardly from the surface approximately /350" apart in each-direction orabout 122,500 per square inch. The arrangementmay be in regular rows orin irregular distribution. The resulting surface has a smooth orsatin-like feel to the touch and an attractive non glare yet silkyappearance. This finish will take and retain marking thereon ashereinbefore described without undue wear on the marking implement. Thedepressions may be larger with fewer in a given area, but as the sizeincreases, them'ceties described are lessened. In coarser finishes, aless desirable abrasive surface is developed. A finer surface isunnecessary so a surface between 100,000 and 150,000 depressions persquare inch has been found more satisfactory.

Where the tags are to meet extreme weathering, chemical fumes, long timestorage or the like, a dichromate bath may be given the tags to form aprotective coating thereover. The dichromate baths are acceptable inthat they may be used without filling the depressions ,or being:otherwise detrimental.

Zinc accepts the die operations-whichjrnpart uniform depth depressionswithout developing some objection.

It is to be understood that the above detailed description of thepresent invention is intended to disclose an embodiment thereof to thoseskilled in the art, but that the invention isnot to be construed aslimited in its application to the details of construction andarrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since theinvention is capable of beingpracticed and carried out in various wayswithout departing from the spirit of the invention. The language used inthe specification relating to the operation and function of theelements.of

..c.a.tiqn.ta ompr a imita strip o sub .tially pure sheet zinc ofapproximately .008 of an inch thick, said tag embodying a plate portionand an integral extension therefrom, the

thickness of said metal permitting ready manual distortion of saidextension to embrace an object for affixing the tag thereto andinherently retain its distorted form, said tag having at ,least aportion of .its surface mechanically operatedupon to provide a markingsurface including a predetermined pattern of depressions thereindistributed approximately 125,000 to the square inch, said depressionsbeing vof such a minute depth as not to detract from the smooth manualfeel-of the marking surface yet sufficient to receive crayon-likewriting instrument indicia thereon and retain the same against normalfriction or weathering.

2. An identification tag comprising a unitary strip of relatively thinflexible sheet metal, the thickness'of said metal permitting readymanual distortion to embrace an object for afiixing the tag thereto andinherently retain its distorted form, said tag having at least a portionof its surface mechanically operated upon to .provide a marking surfaceincluding a predetermined pattern of depressions therein distributedapproximately 125,'000 to the square inch, said depressions being ofsuch minute depth as not to detract from the smooth manual feel of themarking surface yet sufficient to receive crayon like .writinginstrument indicia thereon :and retain' the same against normal frictionor weathering.

LAWRENCE A.

-REFERENCES CITED The-following references are of record in the meetthis patent:

.UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Number Name pate 51L153 .Dutcher V June 18,11 895627,92 0 Gould June '27, 1899 132 16,753 Taylor Nov. ;l3, 1917.1;5.9.0,'722 ,lBrakmeier June :29, v1926 21 533227 AHStatter Apri1'-..-93,9 2.207 180 Smith July:9, 1940 ,"FOREIGN PATENTS Number 7 Country.Date

459 Great Britain Aug. .-,3, 1889 398,599 GreatBritain .,Sept. 21,1933

